


Goddamn Right, You Should Be Scared of Me

by Squirrel_Stone



Series: Clockwork Phantom [3]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: A-Spec Jazz Fenton, Asexual Character, Asexual Danny Fenton, Dash is trying to be better, Demiromantic Danny Fenton, Gen, Origin Story, but he's still an idiot, but not Danny's- at least not entirely and not the way you think
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-03
Updated: 2017-02-09
Packaged: 2018-09-21 16:51:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9558092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squirrel_Stone/pseuds/Squirrel_Stone
Summary: After Jazz realizes just how mortal her brother is, she decides she has to do something to protect him. She's kept someone's secret identity a secret before. How hard could it be to keep her own?





	1. I'm Colder than this Home

**Author's Note:**

> Just a heads up that this is part of a series. If you don't want to go back and read the other parts (it's really not that much), here are the major points:  
> -Jazz still has the bloodstream nanobots in her system and is starting to experience side effects.  
> -She attempted to cut them out herself and wound up in the hospital for it.  
> -Clockwork is Danny after he dies, and seeing as he's the ghost of time, his timeline doesn't quite run linearly.  
> -Shortly after finding this out, Jazz made a deal with a shapeshifter named Seph to protect Danny.  
> -The day the first chapter occurs, Jazz went to Clockwork's only to find that he was a newly-dead Danny. When Jazz tried to explain this, Danny/Clockwork lashed out, mistakenly hurting Jazz.

It was just before midnight when Jazz finally got the chance to truly survey the damage. Nude from the waist up in front of the bathroom mirror, she stared at the red masses and pink-white blisters on her stomach. She turned and looked over her shoulder, spying various shades of blue and green all over her back. Everything hurt.

 

Jazz took a deep breath, cringing at the pain even that caused. She turned again and opened the medicine cabinet, pulling out a bottle of painkillers. She opened the bottle and poured two into her hand, downing them without water. The pills seemed to just force their way down her esophagus, and she braced her hands on the counter.

 

Images flashed in Jazz’s mind- of Danny with glassy, tear-filled eyes. Of his sorrow suddenly becoming rage as he lashed out. Of her Danny smiling innocently at her, completely unaware that he’d hurt her.

 

Then the images started creating themselves. Danny lying in the street, gasping for breath as his lungs filled with blood. Danny with a bullet hole in his chest, blood and ectoplasm pooling on the front of his suit. Danny, strapped to an examination table as the Guys in White- or worse, their _parents_ \- dissected him.

 

Jazz jerked her head up to meet her own eyes in the mirror. They were bloodshot, but there was also something else that hadn’t been there before. Jazz couldn’t quite put her finger on it, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to. She thought back to her deal with Seph and wondered just when and how he (she? they?) would come to collect. Danny looked young floating around the clock tower, only thirty or so. He’d even said Clockwork had been mentoring him for about fifteen years.

 

The thought terrified Jazz.

 

Fighting not to think any further on it, Jazz bent down and pulled the first aid kit out from under the sink. Carefully, she applied antiseptic and bandaged her wounds as best she could before she went back to her room and straight to the closet. She pulled a black tank top over her head and switched her jeans out for a form-fitting pair of black pants. Looking up, she saw an unmarked box on a shelf, and she got on her toes to pull it down. She set it down on the floor and knelt down, opening it up.

 

At the top of the pile sat a burgundy mask with hooks that went over the wearer’s ears like glasses- part of a costume for a Halloween party she didn’t even go to. Jazz slid it onto her face before reaching back into the box, pulling out a leather trench coat in the same color. She got to her feet as she pulled on the coat, marching down the stairs with stony eyes.

 

Jazz made quick work of the basement, stealing a pair of Fenton Phones, a specter deflector, a thermos, and a wrist ray. She put the Fenton Phones in her ears, clicking them on so she could hear what was coming in, but she wouldn’t transmit anything. As she listened, she removed her headband and began tying it around her right hand in a fighter’s wrap.

 

“ _I’ve got a level three near the school_.” It was Danny’s voice coming over the system. “ _After that I’ll head towards the Nasty Burger_.”

 

Whatever bout of insanity made Jazz put on the coat and mask possessed her again, and she walked out the door, heading towards her brother’s favorite hangout spot.

 

* * *

 

When Jazz arrived, she found Danny already there with Sam and Tucker, all three sitting on the sidewalk. She crouched down behind a bush, watching the three intently.

 

“I don’t know what it was,” Danny sighed. “There was just something… off. Normally when Jazz goes to see Clockwork, she comes home in a great mood, but today she said he was having a bad day and… I don’t know.”

 

Sam nodded in understanding. “You know she doesn’t really have a lot of close friends,” she reminded Danny. “She’s probably just upset that he didn’t feel like talking.”

 

Danny wrinkled his nose. “I guess…” he replied. “I don’t know, it just seemed like more than that.”

 

“You’re probably just reading too much into it,” Tucker insisted. “Give it a day and she’ll be over it.” He took in a deep breath and let it out. “Ready for the next round?”

 

“Um… you know what, let’s not,” Danny declared. “No one else has shown up, so feel free to go home. I’m probably gonna hit the hay soon, too.”

 

Sam raised an eyebrow. “If you’re sure.” She gave Danny a quick hug. “See you tomorrow.”

 

Tucker repeated Sam’s actions, and they both headed on their way. Danny, however, laid back on the ground and looked up at the stars.

 

It only took ten minutes before his ghost sense went off. Danny groaned and sat back up. “Alright, let’s get this over w-” He didn’t get the chance to finish before he was blasted across the parking lot.

 

Jazz watched as Danny moaned and turned over, and she followed his gaze to see Skulker floating in midair.

 

“Another upgrade?” Danny asked. “I like it; it really packs a punch.”

 

“Quiet, halfling!” Skulker snapped. “My girlfriend doesn’t believe I’m a good hunter! I’m going to bring you to her to prove her wrong!”

 

Danny’s brows went to his hairline. “You have a girlfriend?” he asked. “Actually, no, don’t respond to that. I don’t even want to know who would be crazy enough to date you.”

 

Skulker chuckled. “You just made this that much easier.” He pointed at Danny again and fired, and the blast of energy hit Danny’s leg as he rolled out of the way.

 

Instantly, Danny transformed back to his human half.

 

“Uh oh.”

 

Jazz jumped up, shooting at Skulker before he could make a move on Danny. While he was on the rebound, Jazz pulled out her thermos and sucked him in.

 

Danny stared at Jazz and blinked a couple of times, surprised by the rescue. “Uh… could you maybe do me a favor and not tell anyone about this?” he asked. “I mean, I’m really grateful for the save and all, but could we just ignore the part where I became human?”

 

Jazz opened her mouth to respond, but she quickly caught herself and turned away from Danny, taking off in a run.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, she went downstairs before school to find her parents already at work. “What’s that?” Jazz asked.

 

“It’s another way to try to talk to ghosts,” Maddie explained. “Every time we try to talk to one at a ghost attack, they’re too busy fighting Phantom.”

 

“Maybe you could ask Phantom for some advice,” Jazz suggested. “Or… make something that makes you sound like a ghost. Give you that echo ghosts have.”

 

Both Maddie and Jack stared at their daughter for a half second. “That’s genius!” Jack cheered. “If we sound like ghosts, they’ll be more likely to approach us! Thanks, kiddo!”

 

Maddie grinned and ruffled Jazz’s hair. “Thanks, hun. Better get to school before you’re late. Last day of school; you don’t want to miss it.”

 

Jazz nodded. “Will do. I’ll see ya later.”


	2. And There's a Storm You're Starting Now

Jazz cleared her throat and raised an eyebrow the second Dash turned a corner after shoving Danny into a locker, and a little piece of her relished in the fear on his face. He knew he’d been caught, but judging by how he quickly regained his ‘cool-guy’ persona, he was going to try to deny it.

 

“Hey, Jazz, what brings you to the freshmen section of the building?” he asked.

 

“You, actually,” Jazz replied. “We’re gonna have to have a little chat about how you and your friends treat my little brother.”

 

Dash wrinkled his nose. “We don’t really talk much,” he said. “Kind of in different social circles, but I can invite him to my next party if you want.”

 

“Cut the crap, Dash,” Jazz ordered. “I know you bully him. I know you shove him into lockers and steal his lunch, and I’m putting a stop to it because Danny’s too good of a person to fight back.” She tilted her head, a small smirk on her face. “You’re going to be nice to him from now on, and you’re going to get your friends to do the same because I guarantee there will come a day when you’ll want him on your side. He’ll be there no matter what, but me? Well, I can make your life hell. You’re taking Lancer’s English II course next semester, right? 9:00?”

 

Dash nodded quickly, the redhead’s tone instilling a fear he couldn’t identify.

 

Jazz slowly nodded back. “That’s what I thought. You see, I’ll be your TA next year, and if I decide to grade your paper a little bit harsher than the others… well, if you want to get into college, you’re gonna need to pass. Understand?”

 

Dash gulped and nodded his head, eyes wide.

 

Jazz smiled. “So, you’re going to start being nice to my brother?”

 

“Y-yes, ma’am,” he responded immediately.

 

“Good.” Jazz immediately relaxed, as though she hadn’t been threatening him seconds earlier. “Now, you’d better get outside if you want good seats for the Dumpty Humpty concert.” She made a shooing motion, and Dash took off running.

 

“That was a little dark, Jazz.”

 

Jazz turned her head to see Valerie leaning against the lockers. “So what if it was?” she replied, straightening her backpack. “It’s no worse than what he does.”

 

Valerie shook her head. “I never said it was.” She stretched her neck, looking for any sign of Danny coming around the corner. “But you know he wouldn’t approve.”

 

“Which is why he won’t find out,” Jazz grit out through clenched teeth. “He doesn’t deserve half the shit he gets, and it’s my job to protect him from it.”

 

“You’re his sister, not his keeper,” Valerie reminded her.

 

Jazz raised an eyebrow. “Who says I can’t be both?” she asked. “You have no idea what Danny deals with. I’m just trying to lighten the load a little.”

 

Valerie scoffed and started to walk past Jazz. “Whatever you say-” She stopped short when Jazz grabbed her arm. “Am I on your hit list, too? You know I’m a ninth-degree black belt.”

 

“If you put yourself in that position, Red Huntress, I’m not just going to use physical strength against you.”

 

The smirk dropped off Valerie’s face. “How did you know that?”

 

“I have my sources,” Jazz replied, pulling a flash drive out of her pocket. “I got this from your benefactor’s home. You might want to look it over. Hopefully, I won’t have to take any further action after that.”

 

Valerie’s eyes narrowed, and she took the drive with her free hand. “Is it something to do with Phantom? I know he hangs out with Sam and Tucker when Danny isn’t around- maybe you should talk to him.” She jerked her arm out of Jazz’s grip and stalked off towards the concert setting up outside.

 

Jazz, on the other hand, took in a deep breath and headed out to the parking lot. Dumpty Humpty was never really her style anyway.

* * *

 

 

Later that afternoon, Jazz found herself hiding out in the lab, tinkering with the communication device her parents had made. It was amazing that they’d gotten a basic prototype in the form of a choker done in just the school day, but it still needed some adjustments before it ‘mysteriously disappeared.’ Her parents would blame it on ghosts, she knew.

 

“It's ghost-based chaos at the Casper High School's Out Concert, where notorious ghost kid Danny Phantom is fighting for his afterlife.”

 

Jazz looked up from her work to the small TV that sat on the table, and she watched as Lance Thunder narrated the fight between Danny and Freakshow. Her hand twitched, and an ear-piercing screech came from the device. Instantly, Jazz fell to the floor, covering her ears in pain.

 

“Shit,” she cursed when the sound finally ended.

 

Jack and Maddie came rushing down the stairs, having heard the noise from the kitchen. “Are you alright, sweetie?” Maddie asked. “We heard… well, something loud.”

 

Jack held out a hand, helping Jazz to her feet.

 

“I’m fine,” she promised. “I just crossed the wrong wires or something. The news surprised me.”

 

They all looked to the TV, where Danny, Sam, and Tucker hung from the Reality Gauntlet. Suddenly, they all went down, crashing into the stage- except for Phantom. He came down moments later in a fireball, and as he got to his feet, he turned back to his human self.

 

Jazz’s eyes went wide, and she looked to her parents. “Uh… you didn’t see that, right?” she asked.

 

Maddie turned to Jazz, catching on with ease. “You knew about this?” she asked. “You knew about this, and you didn’t tell us?”

 

“Now, now, let's not go jumping to any insane conclusions,” Jazz objected with a nervous laugh. “It’s impossible for someone to be both alive and dead, right?” She rubbed at her ear. “You know, now that I think of it, my ears are ringing a little, maybe we should get me to the doctor.”

 

Jack looked positively dumbfounded. “Jasmine Elaine Fenton, you tell us what is going on _right now_ ,” he ordered. “How is it possible that Danny is the ghost boy?”

 

Jazz cringed. “That’s… really for him to explain when he’s ready,” she replied. A thud upstairs made everyone look up.

 

“What on Earth…” Maddie muttered.

 

“Where are you, Fentons?!” Jeremy Manson’s voice drifted down the stairs.

 

Jack and Maddie both groaned. The former turned to Jazz. “This conversation is not over,” he snapped before he and Maddie went up the stairs.

 

Jazz let out a sigh of relief and sank back into her chair. The yelling upstairs was par for the course, and she did her best to ignore it as she worked on the choker. She didn’t even realize anything was wrong until a somewhat animatronic version of her father’s voice rang through the basement.

 

“Fenton Works Anti-Creep Mode activated. Our special today is fudge. I mean pain.”

 

Jazz didn’t waste a second, charging up the stairs and stopping at the entrance to the living room. Inside, a set of armed Guys in White tried (and failed) to trip up Danny, Sam, and Tucker.

 

Without another thought, Jazz turned and went back to the basement. She grabbed the choker up off the bench along with a set of Fenton Phones, two wrist rays, and a thermos before running to the Specter Speeder and getting in.

 

“Get me a view on the Ops Center,” Jazz ordered as she started up the Speeder, knowing that was the safest place in the house.

 

“Ops Center camera activated,” a robot repeated to her, and a little screen on the dash displayed the interior of what was currently the Fenton Blimp.

 

“The  _Fenton Blimp?_ ” Sam asked. “What are we gonna do,  _bore_ them off our tail in a low-speed chase?”

 

Jazz grinned. “Don’t be so sure,” she muttered, watching the screen out of the corner of her eye. Just as the Speeder rocketed off, the blimp turned into a jet and did the same. “Good job, little brother.”

* * *

 

 

She flew through the night, unsure of where she was going, only stopping when she could find a good hiding place. She let out a whimper and sat back in her seat, wondering where the rest of her family was.

 

“ _Oh hello_!”

 

Jazz jerked up, looking at the screen and seeing Danny, Sam, and Tucker all huddled around their transmission screen. The voice was from whoever was calling them, Jazz realized.

 

“Hope I'm not interrupting the worst day of your life  _ever_! But it seems I need your help,” the voice continued.

 

Danny snorted. “You miserable freak, why would I ever help you?!” he asked.

 

“I'm sorry, did I say need? I meant demand!” The voice began cackling as the trio gasped.

 

“He's got my parents!” Sam exclaimed.

 

“He's got  _all_ our parents,” Tucker added.

 

“Mom! Dad!”

 

The voice on the other end cut in again. “Why look. I have something you want, and you know the location of something I want: my gems, which you three fools will retrieve if you ever want to see your families alive again!” Offhandedly, he added in, “Oh, and just to keep it dramatic, you have three days.” He laughed, and static rang out from the console.

 

“Turn it off!” Jazz snapped at the robot, and the screen turned black. “Shit,” she cursed. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit_!” She slammed her fist against the steering wheel.

 

“Well, it looks like you’re in quite the pickle.”

 

Jazz screamed and turned to see Clockwork sitting next to her. She swallowed hard and took a couple of breaths to steady herself. “Wh-what are you doing here?” she asked. “I thought you were mad at me.”

 

Clockwork grinned- no, _smirked_ \- at her. “Not Danny.”

 

“Seph,” Jazz breathed out. “You’ve gotta help me; you said you would!”

 

Seph snorted. “No, I said a time would come when I would enable you to help your brother,” they explained. “That time hasn’t come yet.”

 

Jazz shook her head, fumbling for words. “Wha- then- why are you here if you’re not gonna help me? My parents have been kidnapped!”

 

“Oh, you don’t need any help, chrysí mou,” Seph replied. “At least not from me. Not yet.” They reached out, brushing a strand of Jazz’s hair behind her ear. “What you need to do is get off your ass and come up with a plan. You brought those weapons with you for a reason, didn’t you?”

 

Jazz looked at the choker and other various items sitting on the console.

 

“What exactly did you modify that thing to do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and check out my [tumblr](http://asexualtuckerfoley.tumblr.com) if you wish!


	3. I'm Helpless, Clinging to a Little Bit of Spine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any confusion last chapter. I updated the notes to include that Seph is a shapeshifter who offered to help Jazz in an earlier fic in the series.

Jazz wasn’t entirely sure what she was doing on the phone. Her stomach was in her throat or her heart was in her stomach or some other saying that Jazz couldn’t be bothered to think of at the moment. It only took two rings before someone picked up.

 

“Hey, Jazz,” Dash greeted her with a nervous laugh. “So, uh… you were right about your brother, I guess. Uh… we helped him and his friends get away from the Guys in White during the concert, I promise.”

 

“Are there any agents at your house right now?” Jazz asked.

 

“No,” Dash replied. “They questioned me for about an hour after the concert, but I haven’t seen them since.”

 

Jazz nodded slowly. “Good,” she sighed. “I need you to get everyone who might be a supporter of Danny’s and meet at the football field today at four. Understand?”

 

“Yeah, of course,” Dash promised. “Uh… can I ask what this is for? You’re not gonna, like, do anything crazy, are you?”

 

“Depends on your definition of crazy,” Jazz replied. “We’re gonna lead a rescue team. I’ll see you at four.”

 

Jazz hung up, only to dial another number. This one barely got in half a ring before someone answered.

 

“Why are you calling me?” Valerie snapped. “You knew your brother was Phantom, didn’t you?”

 

Jazz didn’t bother answering either question, instead responding with one of her own. “Did you look at the flash drive?”

 

Valerie sighed on the other end of the line. “Yes,” she grumbled. “I don’t believe all of it, but… you’ve got some pretty compelling evidence.”

 

“You know Danny,” Jazz insisted. “You know he’d never hurt you on purpose.” She breathed in and added, “Meet me at the football field at four. Bring the suit.”

 

Valerie scoffed. “Why should I trust you?”

 

Jazz scowled at the question. “My parents have been kidnapped and my brother is on the run from a government agency that wants to kill him,” she hissed. “If you don’t trust me, trust that I’m desperate.”

 

Without waiting for a response, Jazz hung up the phone and threw it into the passenger’s seat of the Specter Speeder. She took in a shuddering breath and held back a sob, a hiccup coming out instead. She swallowed and lifted her head, putting her hands on the steering wheel. “Get a grip, Jazz,” she whispered to herself. “You’re not gonna save anyone like this. Suck it up and find out where Freakshow is.”

 

Jazz reached over and picked up her phone again, going to her favorites list. She pressed Danny’s name and waited. After one ring, he picked up.

 

“Jazz?” Danny asked, frantic and afraid. “Where are you? Freakshow has Mom and Dad.”

 

Jazz sniffed and took in a shaky breath. “I’m in the weapons vault,” she lied, making no attempt to hide the fact that she had been crying seconds ago. “Danny, the house is crawling with Guys in White. I managed to sneak down here before they could arrest me.”

 

“Shit,” Danny cursed. “Jazz, I’m so sorry. Freakshow, he had this weapon called the Reality Gauntlet; it drained my powers and I switched back on TV.”

 

“I saw,” Jazz replied. “Did… did Freakshow tell you anything? Did he say where he was keeping our parents? Maybe I can do some recon on the area or something from here. I’ve got… surprisingly good reception.”

 

Danny sighed, and there was a long pause like he was contemplating whether or not he should say anything. “The old amusement park just outside of Chicago,” he declared. “He sent us a video, and I recognized the roller coaster from when we went there a few years ago.”

 

“I’ll see what I can do to help,” Jazz promised. “If you need anything- anything at all, just call me.”

 

“I will. I love you.”

 

“Love you, too.”

* * *

 

 

At four o’clock, Jazz walked onto the football field, having abandoned the Specter Speeder behind the school building. She whistled sharply, causing the dozen or so students standing around to turn their attention to her.

 

Dash stepped forward and smiled faintly. “Sorry I couldn’t get more people,” he apologized. “A lot of parents won’t even let their kids outside.” He glanced over to Valerie. “Didn’t call her though.”

 

“I called her myself,” Jazz replied. “And this is fine. Too many people and I wouldn’t be able to direct everyone as well.”

 

“Alright, uh… wait, why did you call Valerie separately?” Dash asked.

 

Jazz sighed and walked past him, stopping in front of Valerie. “You ready to suit up?”

 

Valerie let out a rough laugh. “Not really, but Danny’s my friend,” she replied, “even if he did royally screw me over.”

 

“That’s why you’re here,” Jazz declared. “The Guys in White have seen you fight Phantom before; you’re gonna be our mole.”

 

Valerie cocked her head at an angle, looking at Jazz like she’d grown a second head. “Why do you need a mole?” she asked. “I thought we were gonna stop the guy with the glove, not the Guys in White.”

 

Jazz exhaled sharply through her nose and took a step back. She stood to her full height and directed her attention to the group as a whole. “We’re doing both!” she called out. “We’re going to stop Freakshow, but to do that, we need my parents’ weapons, all of which are inside my house with the Guys in White keeping the place on lockdown.”

 

“How are we supposed to do that?” Paulina asked. “Those guys are scary. And, like, really buff.”

 

“I’m gonna tell you how,” Jazz assured the group. “But you need to do exactly what I say.”

* * *

 

 

Agent M hadn’t expected to find Red Huntress standing on the front porch of Fenton Works when he opened the door. Her issue (to put it lightly) with Phantom was well known- why would she go to his _house_? “Can I help you?” he asked.

 

“No, but I can help you,” Red Huntress replied. “You’re looking for Phantom and his friends. I happen to have some insider information about where they’re going.”

 

Agent M scoffed. “Nice try, but we’ve already tracked them to Cape Canaveral,” he said. “They’ll be apprehended in no time.” He moved to shut the door, but Red Huntress put a hand out to stop it.

 

“Don’t be so sure of yourself,” she declared. “I know you want to think your team is all that, but Phantom’s slippery and you don’t know him the way I do. You only think of him as a ghost. I happen to know his true desires, his _human_ motivations, and where he’s planning to go after he slips away from your fellow agents.”

 

“He’s not-”

 

Agent M was cut off by his phone ringing. He answered, and after a hushed conversation with whoever was on the other end, he hung up and opened the door more. “Come in,” he said tersely. “We were just about to have dinner.”

 

Red Huntress raised an eyebrow. “You’re having dinner?” she asked. “In the Fentons’ house?” She snorted. “Your funeral.” She stepped inside, subtly tapping her temple through the suit.

 

“ _I’ve got a visual_ ,” Jazz declared through the Fenton Phones.

 

“What do you have so far?” Red Huntress asked, as though Jazz hadn’t even spoken.

 

Agent M sighed heavily. “Not as much as I’d like,” he confessed. “We just know that he’s causing chaos wherever he goes. We believe he’s trying to collect the reality gems to become all-powerful.”

 

“ _More like trying to get the extortion price to save our parents_ ,” Jazz grumbled.

 

“Phantom’s less power-grabbing and more destruction-causing,” Red Huntress replied. “If he wants the gems, it’s to cause chaos, pure and simple. He won’t go after any political figures- at least not enough to cause permanent harm- but he will hit large gatherings of people. His girlfriend-”

 

“ _You know he’s asexual, right_?”

 

Red Huntress cleared her throat. “His girlfriend had her hands on one of the gems; she would have sent it somewhere… gloomy,” she finished lamely. “My money’s on Gothapalooza in Nevada.”

 

Agent M scoffed. “Great, more freaks in black.”

 

“Interesting comment coming from the Guys in White, but… basically.” Red Huntress shrugged. “I’m going to check out Jazz Fenton’s room. Before Phantom’s identity was revealed, she was his biggest, if closeted, supporter. She probably knew and has something in her room that could help us.”

 

Red Huntress walked past Agent M and up the stairs, glancing back down at the top to see that he and all the other agents had moved to the kitchen for pizza. She moved down the hall, looking inside each of the rooms. “What am I looking for, Jazz?” she asked quietly.

 

“ _My room- it’s mostly pink_ ,” Jazz replied. “Move the bed forward a little, and there’s a panel that should pop open if you press it.

 

Red Huntress walked into a room and found pink walls, pink bedspread, pink… everything. “Holy shit it’s like Hello Kitty threw up in here,” she muttered. She walked over to the bed and gave it a little nudge.

 

Jazz groaned on the other side, and Valerie could practically see her roll her eyes. “ _Shut up, I decorated when I was five_ ,” she explained. “ _I just… haven’t gotten around to changing it_.”

 

Red Huntress gave the bed another push and found a piece of the wall that looked to be only partially attached. She pushed it lightly, and sure enough it swung open like a door. She reached in, pulling out a key fob from inside.

 

“ _Press the green button and get ready to fight with your fists_ ,” Jazz ordered. “ _It’s going to set off an EMP that’ll shut down their weapons- and your suit, so retract it now_.”

 

"Okay, but before that- he's ace, really? We dated for a while!"

 

" _Valerie_!"

 

"Okay, okay." Valerie called the suit away from her body, and it folded itself into a belt around her waist. She took a deep breath and pressed the green button. Instantly, the lights shut off. “Whoa,” she muttered. “Jazz, you there? Jazz? Jazz?”

 

Suddenly it hit her that the EMP had disrupted the Fenton Phones, too. _Great_.

 

Voices drifted from downstairs, Guys in White clamoring for a source of light and a cause for the disturbance. Valerie wasted no time, charging down the stairs, jumping the last two and kicking an agent in the face as he tried to come up. The front door opened, and Jazz’s little army flooded in, throwing wild punches and doing whatever it took to beat past the agents.

 

Valerie was the only one who noticed their commander actually slip in, and even then, it was only because she snuck over to the stairs where Valerie stood.

 

“Get to the basement,” Jazz ordered over the cacophony of the fight. “Take Paulina and Star with you. There’s going to be a round door like a bank vault cracked open. That’s the weapons stash, and the three of you need to grab as much as you can and get out.”

 

“What about you?” Valerie asked. “What are you gonna do?”

 

Jazz looked up to the top of the stairs. “There’s something I need to get,” she replied cryptically before charging up.

 

Valerie followed Jazz with her eyes for a second before turning back to the fight. Paulina and Star crept towards the kitchen, just as Jazz had told them to do earlier. Valerie snuck around the other way, and the three girls met up at the kitchen entrance.

 

“I’ve got my phone,” Paulina whispered. “I was far enough away from the EMP radius.”

 

“Each of you put a hand on my shoulder,” Valerie ordered. “I’ve been here a few times, enough to get us to the stairs. If we turn on the light before we get to the basement, someone might see.”

 

Star and Paulina nodded, and the second Valerie felt two hands on her, she began walking towards the stairs. Getting down them wasn’t exactly easy, but once they were, Paulina turned on her phone’s flashlight.

 

Star glanced around the room. “What are we looking for?” she asked.

 

“A door like a bank vault,” Valerie explained. “It’s got all their weapons, and we need to take as many as possible.”

 

“Like that?”

 

Valerie followed Paulina’s pointing finger to see just what Jazz had described. “That’s gotta be it.”

 

The three gathered up as much as they could, Paulina and Star even shoving smaller items into their purses. Getting up the stairs was easier, as none of them were bothering to hide their actions anymore.

 

“C’mon! Let’s go!” Valerie yelled, and the exodus swiftly followed. From the front door, she glanced back inside to see Jazz hit an agent in the head with a metal baton, knocking him out- at least, that’s what Valerie hoped she did.

 

Jazz finally left the house, closing the door behind her. A black messenger bag rested on her shoulder, and she shoved the baton inside it. “Alright, back to the school,” she declared. The students took her word as law, everyone hopping in cars or on scooters to drive back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This episode was only supposed to take up 2 chapters... oh well.  
> Please review and check out my [tumblr](asexualtuckerfoley.tumblr.com) if you wish!


	4. For You I Know I'd Even Try to Turn the Tide

“So… Danny’s ace,” Valerie mused as she loaded a few Jack-o-nine-tails into the Specter Speeder. The raid had taken place nearly 48 hours ago, and soon they’d be headed towards Chicago. “When we dated, he seemed so…”

 

“He’s also demiromantic,” Jazz added. “After you two broke up, he did some reading. There was a ghost named Technus manipulating the situation, and Danny ignored the fact that he felt off about the whole thing because he thought he was supposed to feel that way.”

 

Valerie furrowed her eyebrows together. “What about that thing with Paulina?”

 

“Same deal,” Jazz replied. “At first, he just had a crush on her because Tucker had a crush on her. They started actually dating because she was being overshadowed by a ghost who was blackmailing him.”

 

“Yikes.” Valerie winced. She braced herself on the edge of the Specter Speeder and watched Jazz for a moment. “Did he get any counseling from you about the whole thing?”

 

Jazz scoffed. “Of course,” she declared. “What kind of sister would I be if I wasn’t there when he needed me?”

 

Valerie tilted her head, a frown on her face. “Jazz…”

 

Instantly, Jazz stopped working and turned to Valerie. “That obvious, huh?”

 

“You’re telling Danny to be comfortable with his sexuality- and he obviously is or you wouldn’t have told me, but you aren’t even out yourself,” Valerie claimed. “Like, I get it if you aren’t comfortable being out, but don’t be a hypocrite about it with Danny.”

 

“ _Savage_.”

 

Both Jazz and Valerie turned their attention to the intruder: Dash. He stood just a few feet away, a bazooka in his arms like a baby.

 

“Sorry, were you two having a thing or something?” he added. “Or was it more like a gal pals deal?”

 

“Oh my God,” Valerie groaned. She shook her head and gently patted Jazz on the shoulder. “You’re on your own with this one.” She walked back towards the building, muttering under her breath the entire way.

 

Jazz sighed and looked from Valerie to Dash. “I thought you were helping Mikey,” she said.

 

“Oh, I was!” Dash replied, his face lighting up. “He wanted you to see his adjustments.” He held out the bazooka. “It’s supposed to, uh, have a longer range or something.”

 

Reaching out, Jazz took the weapon, lifting it from Dash’s arms like it was nothing. She looked it over and nodded slowly. “This is good,” she declared. “It’ll be a little less focused, but it’ll also be able to be fired from a greater distance. Put it in the Speeder.”

 

Dash took the weapon back and moved past Jazz, putting it into the back of the Specter Speeder. Once he was done, he turned around and looked Jazz over. “You know, it’s pretty cool that you’re so determined to protect your brother,” he said. “I, uh… like, even before I found out he’s Phantom- it was scary, but badass.”

 

Jazz glanced down at the ground before looking back up to Dash. “Thanks,” she replied. “Danny, he… he’s good. And he’s got a lot of shit to deal with. If I can do anything to make his life easier, I’ll do it.”

 

“Yeah,” Dash said with a nod. “I can… I can understand that.” He turned his head away. “I didn’t exactly do anything to make it easier on him. But that’s gonna change! I promise!” He let out a nervous laugh and ran his fingers through his hair. “I get why you made me invite Fent- Danny- to that one party you didn’t even go to.”

 

It took a moment for Jazz to respond. She opened her mouth, closed it, took in a deep breath, and pursed her lips. Even then, she hesitated a moment. “I didn’t know back then,” she explained. “I just knew that my little brother wanted to go to a party he didn’t have a chance at getting into on his own.”

 

Dash’s jaw fell open for a moment before he closed his mouth again. “You… you didn’t always know? And you still wanted me to invite him to my party?”

 

“Because he’s my little brother,” Jazz replied like it was the simplest thing in the world. She sighed and shook her head. “If you suddenly become a good person just when it comes to helping your hero, you’re not really a good person. I’m not saying you had to invite Danny in the first place, but you shouldn’t have bullied him.”

 

“Like you’re any better?” Dash asked. It didn’t sound like an accusation, just a question. “You threatened to mess up my grade for being mean to your little brother.”

 

Jazz shut the trunk of the Specter Speeder and turned to face Dash, crossing her arms across her chest. “I never claimed to be a good person,” she declared. “I just want to protect Danny.” She paused, waiting for Dash to reply, but he didn’t. “Go get the others; tell them we’re heading out.”

* * *

 

 

“One mile out,” Jazz called over her shoulder to the occupants of the stuffed Speeder.

 

Dash glanced from Jazz to the horizon and back again. “I still think it’s cool what you’ve done for him,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “And I don’t think you’re a bad person. You did what you had to.”

 

Jazz tightened her grip on the steering controls. She took in a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have threatened you,” she replied. “I’m sorry.”

 

“I get it.”

 

The nervous mutterings filled the brief gap.

 

“I mean… it was a dick move, but I get it. I’ve got a sister; she’s six. If anything happened to her… I don’t know what I’d do. Not to mention how clueless I’d be if she suddenly decided to become a superhero.”

 

Jazz snorted before regaining a straight face. “Alright, I’m gonna land us a quarter mile away, then you’ll all sneak up along the back fence,” she called out. “Dash will lead. Valerie and I are gonna circle back around and give you cover and a distraction. You get people out and then you _leave_. Understood?”

 

A collection of “yeah”s was the response, and Jazz sighed. “Close enough,” she muttered. She lowered the Specter Speeder, parking it behind a few trees. “Alright, grab your weapons and get moving! Slow and quiet going in, fast going out!”

 

Jazz got out of her seat and headed around to the back, opening the trunk and offloading weapons as quickly as possible. The sooner she got back in the air, the better.

 

As the other students started making their way towards the amusement park, Valerie approached Jazz, her suit on except for her helmet. “Something’s up with you, Fenton,” she claimed. “You aren’t gonna be flying that thing, are you?”

 

“My job is to protect my little brother,” Jazz replied. “The Speeder will be perfectly safe on auto-pilot. It’s got a million evasive techniques and defenses. Nobody’s gonna get hurt.”

 

Valerie nodded slowly. “Make sure you aren’t Odysseus in this scenario.”

 

Jazz chuckled and shook her head. “I’ll be fine,” she promised. “I’ve got a plan.”

 

“If you say so,” Valerie sighed. Her helmet grew up from her neckline, wrapping around her head until only her face was visible through the semi-transparent mask. “Be careful out there.”

 

“You, too.”

 

Jazz watched as Valerie flew off before she got back in the Specter Speeder, closing the door behind her. She shed her pants and top and grabbed her messenger bag, opening it and pulling out her vigilante costume. She pulled on the pants, shirt, and coat first, then attaching a Fenton Thermos to her belt and fastening wrists rays on each arm. Next came the mask, and she took off her headband, shoving it in her bag. Finally, she put the choker around her neck and latched it in the back.

 

“Alright,” Jazz whispered to herself, her voice echoing. “Let’s do this.” She turned her attention to the front console of the Speeder. “Autopilot, engage,” she ordered. “Attack the ghost known as Lydia, the human known as Freakshow, and all of their allies. Defend everyone else.”

 

As the Speeder lifted off the ground, Jazz opened the door and hopped out, closing the door immediately behind her. Instead of following the other students, Jazz headed around the opposite direction, seeing a tree right next to the fence. She climbed up, resting on a branch that gave her a perfect view of the park. Valerie was already at it, attacking Freakshow and fending off Lydia’s tattoos, and Danny, Sam, and Tucker sat on the ground, tied up by more tattoos.

 

Freakshow snarled at Valerie before realizing Lydia had enough control, so he turned back to the trio. “Thanks to you, I am now ringmaster of all reality!” he cheered. Fireworks exploded in the air with no sign of a source, and the sunny sky turned to night. “Neato, huh?”

 

“Let ‘em go, Freakshow!” Danny yelled. “I brought you the gems. We had a deal!”

 

Jazz winced. That was never how things went with supervillains.

 

“The deal was, bring me the gems if you want to see them alive again,” Freakshow claimed. He looked over to the three cages. “Well, here they are! Alive- for now.” He cackled, only to get shot in the chest by an ecto-blast from the Speeder.

 

Freakshow sat up and glared at the ship. “Oh, goodie! An audience! Now you can all watch-” He turned to the cages again to Paulina, Star, and Kwan each blowing the lock off of each. “No!” he snapped. “They aren’t supposed to get free!” He raised his hand in the direction of the cages, but before he could do anything, an ear-piercing scream cut through the air.

 

Everyone dropped, covering their ears if they could or, in the case of the trio, lowering their heads as much as possible to escape the noise. Eyes darted around, desperate to find the source, and finally Danny’s eyes landed on Jazz in her costume as she ran towards the still-stunned Freakshow.

 

The bindings around Danny, Sam, and Tucker faded from existence, Lydia too preoccupied with the scream to keep using her powers.

 

Freakshow growled in frustration, and he summoned two dozen ghosts to help fight. He watched for a moment as everyone struggled against their opponents, but his glee lasted for only a moment.

 

Two beams of green light hit him, and he fell back on his rear, the Reality Gauntlet flying off. He reached out, but the end of a metal bo staff slammed down on his hand, keeping it in place. Jazz looked over to the gauntlet to see Danny picking it up and sliding it on. He lifted his hand in the air, and the ghosts vanished, the sky turned to day, and only Freakshow and Lydia were left as adversaries.

 

Jazz pulled out her thermos, sucking Lydia in before she set it back on her hip. She looked back to Danny to see him rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“Uh… hi, everyone,” he greeted the group with a nervous laugh.

 

“No!” Freakshow yelled, even with one hand trapped. “I will not be upstaged by a-”

 

Jazz jerked her staff, hitting Freakshow in the head hard enough to knock him out.

 

Danny’s eyes went wide for half a second at the act of violence before he turned his attention back to the group. “Thanks, all of you. This… this could have ended a lot differently if you weren’t here.” He turned to the only adults in the group. “Hi Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Manson, Mr. and Mrs. Foley.”

 

Maddie and Jack ran up to Danny. “Young man, do you have anything to say for yourself?” Maddie demanded.

 

“I, uh, I’m sorr- gah!” Danny was cut off by his parents hugging him.

 

“We're very proud of you, son,” Jack declared, squeezing Danny even tighter.

 

Maddie gave Danny a kiss on the cheek. “Oh! Oh, my baby boy!”

 

Danny pulled back a bit, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “But I lied to you. Over and over for a really long time. If I were you guys, I'd be furious.”

 

Maddie sighed heavily, a guilty look on her face. “Well, of course you lied to us. We never gave you a reason not to,” she declared. “I mean, you’re still grounded for the rest of the summer, but…”

 

“All this time we've been yammering on destroying and dissecting ghosts,” Jack added, putting a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “I'd have been terrified too if I were you.”

 

“We love you, sweetie. You,” Maddie continued.

 

Jack smiled. “Whether you’re ghost, boy, or something in between.”

 

“Thank you,” Danny breathed. He looked over to Jazz. “And I guess thanks again to you. This is the second time you’ve helped me. Who are you?”

 

Jazz hesitated for a moment, recalling her and Clockwork’s discussions. _The queen should never be your first choice._ “The Red Bishop,” she finally replied. “And you’re welcome.” She turned and started running away, knowing she needed to get back to the Speeder. She’d barely made it over the fence when a wave of dizziness overtook her and knocked her to the ground.

* * *

 

 

Jazz blinked, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself on the couch in the living room. She looked around, seeking an explanation. It came in the form of Danny walking down the stairs.

 

“Hey…”

 

“Hey,” Danny greeted her in response. “I figured you’d rather be in here than in the weapons vault when I reset reality.”

 

Jazz snorted and shook her head. “Thank you, for not leaving me in there.”

 

Danny smirked. “Oh, it was tempting,” he joked, plopping down on the sofa next to Jazz. “So… Freakshow’s back in custody, someone organized about 20 students to help me save our parents, and there’s a new ghost hunter in town called the Red Bishop. She had this scream thing like my ghostly wail, but it was high-pitched instead of low.”

 

Jazz raised an eyebrow. “The things you miss after three days trapped in a vault,” she sighed. “Speaking of, can you get me some water? I should be dead without it pretty soon.”

 

Danny’s eyes went wide, and he jumped up, running to the kitchen and returning seconds later with a glass filled to the brim with ice water. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. “I kind of forgot that with the whole resetting thing, it still technically happened and you still technically lived it since you remember.”

 

“It’s fine,” Jazz assured him. “How did Mom and Dad take it?”

 

“Pretty well,” Danny replied. “Really well. But… I don’t know, I’m just not ready for them to find out. And when they do, I want it to be on my terms.”

 

Jazz reached over, brushing a bit of hair away from Danny’s face. “This is your second do-over button for the big reveal, Danny,” she reminded him. “You might not get a third.”

 

Danny sighed and laid down, resting his head in Jazz’s lap. “I know,” he grumbled. “I already know how they’ll react, so… soon. Just not right now.”

 

“Alright,” Jazz replied with a nod. Danny lifted his head for a second, surprised she didn’t press the issue, but he settled back down again quickly. “Just remember that I’ll be there whenever you need me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and check out my [tumblr](asexualtuckerfoley.tumblr.com) if you wish! I'd really appreciate some more reviews and reviewers so I know how you all think I'm doing and what you like about this. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, the more I go down this Clockwork Phantom rabbit hole, the more I love the idea of Clockwork!Danny and Jazz just doing anything and everything she can to protect her brother. This section is going to focus more on Jazz and just what "anything and everything" entails.
> 
> Please review, and if you have time, check me out on [tumblr](http://asexualtuckerfoley.tumblr.com).


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